Falls Church News-Press Endorses Moving Local Elections to November

Falls Church currently holds its local elections in May, but there’s a referendum on Tuesday’s ballot to move them to November. The Falls Church News-Press is endorsing the move:

There’s no question that citizens are far more apt to vote in November, a fact confirmed by the data showing turnouts are almost twice as high, on average, in November elections as in May ones.

It is simply a matter of providing more of our citizens the opportunity to vote, as the numbers prove is far more likely to happen in November. In May, apparently, busy citizens are not accustomed to voting and, if anything, may be preoccupied about voting in June primaries rather than May municipal races.

Those Falls Church citizens have voted to be their representatives in the Virginia state legislature all strongly favor the enfranchisement of a maximum of voters. Retiring State Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple and State Del. Jim Scott, not to mention State Sen. Dick Saslaw, who is running for re-election to represent Falls Church (after last spring’s redistricting) all favor a “Yes” vote Tuesday to move elections to November.

Del. Scott’s comment was one of the most poignant: “The whole point of the civil rights movement was to increase the vote,” he said. Scott was a part of that movement in his earlier North Carolina days.

The Falls Church City Democratic Committee has also endorsed moving local elections to November. And the move has been endorsed by The Green Miles! So be sure to get out & vote on Tuesday.

Yes, turnout is lower. But that is by choice. By having the local elections at different times from state and federal elections, those local contests can get the voters’ full attention. If they choose not to participate, then perhaps the local elections are not so important to them.

Does anyone think we would be better off if all of our elections were held on the same day as the Presidential election? While that would undoubtedly increase turnout, I don’t think it would produce a better informed electorate.